Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the total spend by his Department on promoting regional tourism in each year since 2010.

VisitBritain and VisitEngland do not hold a breakdown of spending at local level and DCMS do not hold information of spending at local authority level - this is held by the Ministry for Housing, Central and Local Government.

VisitBritain and VisitEngland are responsible for promoting the UK as a tourist destination, through a range of different initiatives and campaigns. VisitBritain receive grant-in-aid totalling £19.4m from DCMS and VisitEngland receive £7m. VisitBritain also receive £22.8m of GREAT funding to support promotion activities. For every £1 the Government has invested in VisitBritain for international marketing, an overseas visitor spends £20 in Britain.

VisitEngland administer the £40m Discover England Fund which is designed to develop innovative and collaborative tourism products which are aimed at encouraging visitors to explore the regions of England beyond London. For example the Waterways of England project is led by the West Midlands Growth Company and targets international visitors, encouraging them to explore the English countryside using the canals, focusing on Birmingham and the surrounding area.